New diff carrier bearings, anybody heard of Iljin?

[Chepe]

'83 K10, have the front axle torn down in the garage. I regeared the rear last year (2.73 to 4.10), took out the front drive shaft until I could get to the front, which is now. The rebuild kit I bought a year ago has the wrong carrier bearings...too late to get the right ones from them. I ordered a new set of Spicer diff carrier bearings from a reputable source. I didn't want to use parts store house brands made who knows where. They came in the mail today, and they're Iljin, made in Korea.

I called the place and the guy was helpful, totally understood and said he would happily refund me if I wanted to send them back. But also that he just gets them from Spicer and that's what Spicer is using. If I had it to do over, I would have ordered the Timkin numbers separately, but I figured ordering a Spicer part would get me high quality bearings.

I am ready to get it back together and on the road, so I am probably going to just run them and hopefully forget about them. I can imagine a Korean company making great bearings, I just haven't ever heard of them. Anybody ever heard of/used Iljin? Horror stories, success stories, anything?

 

[AuroraGirl]

'83 K10, have the front axle torn down in the garage. I regeared the rear last year (2.73 to 4.10), took out the front drive shaft until I could get to the front, which is now. The rebuild kit I bought a year ago has the wrong carrier bearings...too late to get the right ones from them. I ordered a new set of Spicer diff carrier bearings from a reputable source. I didn't want to use parts store house brands made who knows where. They came in the mail today, and they're Iljin, made in Korea.

I called the place and the guy was helpful, totally understood and said he would happily refund me if I wanted to send them back. But also that he just gets them from Spicer and that's what Spicer is using. If I had it to do over, I would have ordered the Timkin numbers separately, but I figured ordering a Spicer part would get me high quality bearings.

I am ready to get it back together and on the road, so I am probably going to just run them and hopefully forget about them. I can imagine a Korean company making great bearings, I just haven't ever heard of them. Anybody ever heard of/used Iljin? Horror stories, success stories, anything?

2.73. thats rough.
i wouldnt knock those iljin

ILJIN – 프로젝트 개발 실적

www.iljin.com

a google search shows every premium brand is shipping them out with their name on it.

 

[SquareRoot]

Had the same concern with a t-case rebuild kit and Nachi brand bearings I'd never heard of. After a bit of research, I learned the bearing industry isn't what it used to be thanks to globalization. 5 trips to Europe in the past few years has opened my eyes as I realize "Made in America" is severely lacking in quality.

 

[AuroraGirl]

Had the same concern with a t-case rebuild kit and Nachi brand bearings I'd never heard of. After a bit of research, I learned the bearing industry isn't what it used to be thanks to globalization. 5 trips to Europe in the past few years has opened my eyes as I realize "Made in America" is severely lacking in quality.

or how made in america is achieved by simply finishing an entire process here
and slapping our flag on it
then marking it up in cost

 

[geardaddy]

Had the same concern with a t-case rebuild kit and Nachi brand bearings I'd never heard of. After a bit of research, I learned the bearing industry isn't what it used to be thanks to globalization. 5 trips to Europe in the past few years has opened my eyes as I realize "Made in America" is severely lacking in quality.

before retiring (again) my company went thru $875,000-$950,000 in bearings every year, nachi,nsk,ntn and koyo are some of the best bearings on the planet. the ones to avoid are china and some of the eastern block brands...

 

[SquareRoot]

before retiring (again) my company went thru $875,000-$950,000 in bearings every year, nachi,nsk,ntn and koyo are some of the best bearings on the planet. the ones to avoid are china and some of the eastern block brands...

Out of curiosity, what industry was your company in, aviation. mining,....? Must have been something with lots of spinny things.

 

[59840Surfer]

I was an expeditor for a cryogenic gasses company during 1962-3 and they had such a hard time even getting bearings (VietNam war 'n all going on at that time) that they decided to make their own!

We needed them for the cryogenic pumps we made and we were going to use the bearing we would make inside the electric motors were also made.

US Motors and Reliance and Hubbel were all geared up for the war effort and we neither had and could get nuttin'!

Funny that our engineers had to go to Japan to buy back the bearing-making machinery that the US Gummermint sent over there after WW2 to help re-industrialize Japan and get them back on their feet.

Any questions why the Center of the US is called "Rust Bucket"?

But --- as it were I totally enjoyed watching the diamond plates, just rolling the balls around like you did in Kindergarten with clay to make balls and snakes ---> Remember?

Only this time is was called Vanadium Steel or Black-Max.

The things I learned there have stuck with me a long 78+ years now.

 

[AuroraGirl]

I was an expeditor for a cryogenic gasses company during 1962-3 and they had such a hard time even getting bearings (VietNam war 'n all going on at that time) that they decided to make their own!

We needed them for the cryogenic pumps we made and we were going to use the bearing we would make inside the electric motors were also made.

US Motors and Reliance and Hubbel were all geared up for the war effort and we neither had and could get nuttin'!

Funny that our engineers had to go to Japan to buy back the bearing-making machinery that the US Gummermint sent over there after WW2 to help re-industrialize Japan and get them back on their feet.

Any questions why the Center of the US is called "Rust Bucket"?

But --- as it were I totally enjoyed watching the diamond plates, just rolling the balls around like you did in Kindergarten with clay to make balls and snakes ---> Remember?

Only this time is was called Vanadium Steel or Black-Max.

The things I learned there have stuck with me a long 78+ years now.

I work at a HVAC duct manufacturing plant and im the only one in our department who knows how to 1) use a grease gun 2) that zerks need grease 3) how to grease a bearing

Its kinda funny because they have been running these things dry for so long, pump a little grease into the machinery and now all the settings have to be changed because they work so effortlessly and everything goes out the window adjustment wise lol.

 

[59840Surfer]

I work at a HVAC duct manufacturing plant and im the only one in our department who knows how to 1) use a grease gun 2) that zerks need grease 3) how to grease a bearing

Its kinda funny because they have been running these things dry for so long, pump a little grease into the machinery and now all the settings have to be changed because they work so effortlessly and everything goes out the window adjustment wise lol.

I've seen the Amps go down when bearings finally get lubed.

We had motors hidden in the ceiling and walls at a hospital I worked at in LA and the only way they could be found was when they emitted smoke.